The Rivière Franquelin Branche Ouest is a tributary of the Franquelin River, flowing in the unorganized territory of Rivière-aux-Outardes and in the municipality of Franquelin, in the Manicouagan Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Côte-Nord, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This valley is served by a forest road which goes up the valley. Forestry is the main economic activity in this valley; recreational tourism, second. The surface of the Franquelin Branche Ouest river is usually frozen from the beginning of November to the end of April, except the rapids; however, traffic on the ice is generally safe from late November to early April.
Geography
The Franquelin Branche Ouest river draws its source from a small lake located in the unorganized territory of Rivière-aux-Outardes. This mouth is located at:
north-west of the village center of Franquelin;
west of the mouth of the Franquelin River West Branch.
From its source, the Franquelin Branche Ouest river flows over with a drop of, mainly in forest areas, according to the following segments: Upper course of the Franquelin River West Branch
first towards the south by going down the cliff, then towards the east in a valley more and more steeped by collecting the discharge of the Chambers lake, until the outlet from Chapados Lake;
eastward in a relatively straight line in a deep valley, to the outlet of Lac Beaudin;
east to the outlet of Lac Guay;
eastward in a relatively straight line, collecting the discharge from Lac Audet, bending south-east at the end of the segment, up to Chasseur stream ;
first towards the south, then towards the east by forming a loop towards the south to go up towards the northeast, up to a bend of the river;
generally towards the south-east at the foot of a mountain cliff, forming several streamers by collecting a discharge from a lake and two discharges a group of small lakes, up to a bend in the river corresponding to the outlet of 3 lakes;
towards the northeast by collecting three discharges from lakes and a discharge from two lakes, up to a bend in the river;
south-east at the foot of a mountain cliff, to the confluence of the Lessard River ;
first towards the south-east, then towards the east by forming a loop towards the south to collect the discharge of a lake, up to its mouth.
The Franquelin West Branch River flows onto the west bank of the Franquelin River. This confluence is located on the west side of Cache-Trois, either:
